EU regulator: Morning-after pill OK for all women

The European Medicines Agency says a commonly used morning-after pill is suitable for use by heavier women after reviewing the evidence, sparked by a French pharmaceutical company's declaration last year that the drugs didn't work in women weighing more than 80 kilograms (176 pounds).

Last November, HRA Pharma changed the labels on its morning-after pill Norlevo, saying it was ineffective in women over 80 kilograms after a study of levonorgestrel, one of the drug's active ingredients.

In a statement on Thursday, the EMA said it had assessed all the available evidence and concluded the data "are too limited and not robust enough to conclude with certainty" that the pill's efficacy is reduced in heavier women. It said current warnings on Norlevo's packaging should be deleted.